Oklahoma has hired former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables to lead the Sooners heading into 2022. This comes after Lincoln Riley took the head coaching position at USC last week. Riley led the Sooners to a 10-2 record this year and ended with a 37-33 loss to Oklahoma State. Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione made a home run hire that was the overwhelming fan favorite with the addition of Venables.
Oklahoma Hires Brent Venables As Next Head Coach
Venables has been a defensive coordinator at Oklahoma and then Clemson over the past 23 seasons. This year, Clemson is 9-3 with an invite coming over the weekend to likely the Cheez-Its Bowl. Ironically, while Venables prepares to leave, he has created a championship defense year in and year out for Clemson. He helped lead the Tigers to two National Championship as well as a Championship at Oklahoma during the 2000 season. Venables is considered by many to be one of the most ready assistants to make a jump to the head coaching position. Could this be the move that gets Oklahoma over the hump to another National Championship for the first time since 2000?
The terms of Venables’ deal have not been disclosed at this point.
Potential Staff Changes
With a new coach comes a potentially new and revamped coaching staff. Todd Bates will likely come over from the Tigers staff as he rejoins Venables as the defensive coordinator. Aside from that, the Sooners could have new positional coaches for the 2022 season. It’s been widely rumored that Jeff Lebby could come over from Ole Miss as the offensive coordinator for the Sooners. Additionally, most Sooner fans would like to see Demarco Murray, Jamar Cain, Calvin Thibodeaux, Cale Gundy, and Joe Jon Finley retained.
Venables will assemble a top-notch staff that will best suit the program and the direction he will lead in. But, could a few current Clemson coaches not mentioned be on the move to Oklahoma as well? Only time will tell if Venables will bring any of his current assistants as Oklahoma hires Brent Venables as next head coach.
